The Scuba GOAT Podcast

Envoy Shark Cull is a hard-hitting Australian documentary directed by Andre Borell.  The film shines a much-needed light on the outdated and antiquated shark control methods deployed in QLD and NSW, that have not changed in methodology since being introduced in 1936.  I was shocked and devastated to learn about this brutal culling program (also discussed with Jonathan Clark on S01 E15 ) that is no...

Originally from Melbourne, Jeff Hansen resides in Perth, Western Australia and is one of 6 Global Directors for Sea Shepherd.  As leader or co-lead he has played a pivotal role in protecting Australia's coastline.  Stopping the West Australian shark cull, preventing the worlds gas hub titan from ploughing through the largest Humpback Whale nursery on earth and stopping BP from drilling for oi...

Connecting with us from Magnetic Island, Australia, we hear from Dr Andy Lewis who managed the ecotourism activities aboard the luxury vessel True North for over a decade and visited a plethora of remote locations throughout the Coral Triangle.   Armed with his PhD in coral reef ecology from James Cook University, and a passion for the reefs, islands and people of the South-Pacific,  Andy develope...

Elaine Brett is a dive professional, the resident manager and co-owner of one of the oldest and most successful dive centres on Koh Tao, Thailand. The northernmost of 3 islands in the Gulf, Koh Tao has attracted many tourists wishing to dive and obtain their certifications (with the added chance of seeing a Whaleshark).  At times Koh Tao has been frowned upon for how busy it can get however, this...

Libby Sterling is a dive pro who specialises in teaching solo training for divers wishing to be self-sufficient.  She's a dab hand with a camera and doesn't mind sharing her knowledge with those who ask. You'll regularly find  Libby on one of the many boats operating out of Cairns, Australia and as a member of the Nautilus dive club, she's also won a couple of tasty awards for...

Connecting with us from Costa Rica, Pete Bethune has committed his life to wildlife conservation.  Following his world record journey circumnavigating the world on a bio-fuel driven trimaran, Pete joined forces with Sea Shepherd in their fight to prevent whaling in Antarctica.  When Earthrace became low on fuel a Japanese whaling vessel took the opportunity to ram the boat with Pete and his crew s...

Dr Simon Pierce is the worlds top whale shark conservation biologist.  Co-founder of Marine Megafauna Foundation , he also founded MMF’s flagship global research program on whale sharks.  Simon led the research team whose efforts resulted in whale sharks being recognized as globally endangered for the first time on the IUCN Red List , led the technical proposal that successfully listed whale shark...

Trying out something new with this episode, entitled "Surface Interval."  My idea is that once a month we have a few people in the studio and have a wee catch-up with what's caught our eyes in the scuba news from around the world.  I'm joined by an old favourite, Don Silcock and a newbie to the show, Lissa Rebec. Don and Lissa both come to the show with some big announcements l...

Mike Scotland has been diving since 1976 and taught over 1,000 divers during his career as a dive pro.  In 2019, Mike stepped up and took over as the editor of Divelog magazine and has been collating scuba news from across the Australasian region ever since.  With a passion for photography and education as a Marine Biologist, Mike regularly shares his knowledge of the underwater world within each...

Don Silcock joins me in the studio today to talk about Papua New Guinea.  Having travelled to PNG many times over the last 20 years Don guides us through the country as we highlight many of the stunning locations available to tourism and in particular, divers. Dons website: Indo Pacific Images Topics of discussion include: The history of various locations, the people who explored and created what...

Sea Shepherd is an international, non-profit marine conservation organization that campaigns to defend, conserve and protect the world’s oceans.  Jonathan Clark is the Coordinator of Sea Shepherd's Apex Harmony Campaign in Queensland, Australia.  During this episode, Jonathan talks to Matt about the methods used in Australia to control shark numbers focusing on the Queensland and New South Wa...

Discover more about Cristina Zenato, an extraordinary figure renowned as a course director, shark behaviourist, conservationist, public speaker, and founder of the nonprofit organization People of the Water. Cristina, a member of the Explorers Club, has earned prestigious accolades such as induction into the Women Divers Hall of Fame and membership in the Ocean Artists Society. She is also the rec...

Kirsten Sheppard is a dive pro and the owner of Dive Ningaloo based in Exmouth, Western Australia.  The 604,500 hectare marine and terrestrial property of Ningaloo Coast, on the remote western coast of Australia, includes one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world.  Annual gatherings of whale sharks occur at Ningaloo Coast, which is home to numerous marine species, among them a wealth of sea...

Kai Steinbeck has been diving since the dawn of time and is now utilising his skills and experiences to pass on significant knowledge to the next generation of dive instructors.  As a PADI Course Director, Kai conducts Instructor Development Courses operating on the Sunshine Coast, Australia at Sunreef dive centre, Mooloolaba  PROMO ALERT – KAI ANNOUNCES A GREAT OFFER DURING THIS EPISODE and Matt...

Gareth Lock is the inspirational founder of The Human Diver. On leaving his 25-year career in the RAF he was already an experienced diver having started to learn the sport in 1999. His very first dive took place in Greece while on holiday. However, it was while on work trips to Cape Town and San Diego that he knew diving would become an important part of his life. As he became more experienced in...

Michael McFadyen began diving in 1988 and started logging his dives… he hasn’t stopped since.  Over 33 years Michael has logged thousands of dives, explored the New South Wales Coastline, found, mapped and shared his findings with the world, for free. The “Michael McFadyen’s scuba diving website” contains over 1,000 pages of information and specific details on where (and how) to dive in New South...

Born and bred a Kiwi, Dr Matt Carter is Australasia’s leading technical diving marine archaeologist.  Currently residing in Melbourne, Matt is the Research Director for the Major Projects Foundation.  The team are focusing on the  WWII wrecks in the Pacific, with plans to remove the potentially devastating oils before they leak into the Ocean.  Join us as we discuss this and other topics during Ep...

CCR Tech Instructor Trainer, owner of Koh Tao Divers & KTD Malta, explorer and wreck hunter, absolute hero as part of the rescue team during the Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand. We chat about life before, during and after the events of 2018. If you're keen to dive with Mikko on one of his expeditions or receive some top-notch training... you can reach him by: His pro website: https://w...

At the close of this crazy year, I catch up with Kristian Parton and Brendon Sing to find out what they've been up to since last being on the show. Brendon updates us on the bid to ban shark fin importation to the UK and Kris touches base about his new Youtube channel, Shark Bites. Help spread the word of Scuba Goat and hit that cheeky little follow button and feel free to ping me any ideas o...

Kristian Parton is a marine biologist and shark enthusiast conducting his research in collaboration with the University of Exeter*, the Shark Trust and Citizen Science.  He is also the lead author of a recently published scientific paper focusing on the direct impact of microplastics on demersal sharks and the father of Sh.a. R.E.N - The Shark and Ray Entanglement Network. Kristian's passion...

Komodo National Park in Indonesia is world-renowned for its vast array of marine biodiversity and bucket list scuba diving.  Marcus Blake has spent the last 4 years based on the perimeter of the park as the dive operations manager at Komodo Resort and Dive Club . I hosted an expedition for 10 guests at Komodo Resort and Dive Club in November 2019 and I was seriously impressed with the entire opera...

Not to be missed is Episode 4 of Scuba GOAT with diving industry heavyweight Paul Toomer.  We pack a lot into this hour; as this mould-breaking President of RAID shares the successes and challenges behind a decade of growth, and the coming evolution of the diving industry. DIVE TRAINING IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN RAID has taken a new, and we believe, a far better approach to diver training. It starts b...

Jason Fondis is a dive professional, co-owner and manager of Blue Corner Dive Nusa Penida, Indonesia. Join us as we chat about the phenomenal aquatic biodiversity on his doorstep, hilarious island life insights, and a thrilling manta rescue caught on camera which can be viewed on our youtube page. Blue Corner Dive Nusa Penida I first visited Nusa Penida on the recommendation of a good dive buddies...

Shark Guardian is a UK registered charity focused on the protection and conservation of sharks worldwide; along with research and education initiatives on these apex predators. Join me as we talk through current conservation topics and the important work undertaken by this team. Shark Guardian operates under four pillars, conservation, education, research and expeditions.  During this episode, Bre...

Matt Waters: A little story on how the Scuba GOAT podcast came about Matt Waters is a multi-agency scuba diving instructor, travel agency owner and now podcast host.  Matt has certified hundreds of recreational divers and conducted 1,000’s of dives around the world.  With a true passion for the Ocean and its inhabitants, Matt needs little excuse to don his dive gear and get those fins wet and when...